Warp feeding and tensioning means



Nov. 29, 1938. w. H. HALL, .1R 21,138,155

WARVP FEEDING AND TENSIOING MEANS Original Filed Oct. 13, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 29, 1938. w. .HA HALL, JR

WARP FEEDING AND TENSINING MEANS 1936 4 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Original Filed 0012. 13

Nov. 29, 193s. w. H. HALL, JR

WARP FEEDING ANIS TENSIONING MEANS Original Filed Oct. l5, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 75 f Nov. 29, 1938.

WARP FEEDING AND TENSIONING MEANS Original Filed Oct. 13, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w. H. HALL, JR 2,138,155

" prises a breast beam I.

Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARP FEEDING AND TENSIONING lVIEANS William H. Hall, Jr., Trenton, N. J., assignor to Thermoid Company, Trenton, N. J., a corporation of Delaware 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-104) This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to a loom capable of Weaving pile carpet, double, i. e., weaving the base fabrics for two independent carpets in superposed relation to each other with pile-forming threads extending from one base fabric to the other base fabric during weaving; and wherein the pile warps are subsequently cut in a plane intermediate the two base fabrics, to split the two carpets apart and thereby produce a cut pile face on each carpet.

The present application is a division of copending application, Serial No. 105,428, iiled October 13, 1936.

The present invention more especially concerns an improved form of warp feeding or tensioning mechanism. The cooperation and coordination mechanism of the present invention with other new and normal elements of the loom will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, in more or less diagrammatic form, illustratlng'the mechanism of the present invention applied to a loom of the type noted and showing the lay of the loom in the beat-up or front-center position with the reed immediately adjacent the fell of the carpet;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the lay in the same position as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a still greater enlargement at and immediately surrounding the fell of the fabric being woven, with the lay in the beat-up position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the carpet in longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of the warp-tensioning mechanism forming a part of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4; p

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the Warp-tensioning mechanism shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on the line 'I-'I, Fig. 6.

A loom of the type above noted normally com- The loom also includes a lay 2 which is pivoted at 3 to the frame of the loom. The lay 2 is provided with the usual reed 4. The lay 2 is normally rocked about the pivot 3 by a crank shaft (not shown) connected to the lay by the usual form of connecting rod. When the reed is in the beat-up or front-center position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the crank and connecting link are fully extended with the axis of the pivot between the connecting link and the lay,

' the axis of the pivot between the connecting link and the crank, and the axis of the crank shaft itself all lying in a. straight line. As the crank shaft revolves to the extent of 180 the lay 2 is moved thereby to the back-center position, wherein the above noted axes are again in line, with a line extending from the axis at one end of the connecting link to the axis at the opposite end thereof lying across the axis of the crank shaft.

The loom also normally includes a series of heddle frames illustrated at 5, 6,- 'I, 8, 9 and III respectively. These heddle frames are normally raised and lowered in predetermined relationship to each other while the lay is in the front-center position, in order to provide an open warp shed for the reception of the lling shuttle which is' shot transversely across the loom when the lay moves again to the back-center position above noted.

The raising and lowering of the heddle frames 5 to IIJ inclusive, in predetermined relationship to each other, is normally produced by a series of cams individual to the heddle frames and mounted on a common shaft which is driven at a predetermined speed with respect tov the oscillations of the lay 2. This mechanism is common in the type of loom noted and is well known to those familiar with the weaving art and for that reason has not been illustrated in the present instance.

The loom also includes the usual whip roll II and warp guide roll I2 about which the warp threads pass in normally extending from a warp beam at the rear of the loom to and through the heddles of the frames 5 to I0 inclusive and through the dents in the lay reed 4, to the fell of the fabric at the front of the loom.

On the front upper corner of the breast beam I and extending transversely of the loom, and normally mounted for rotation in suitable bearings carried by the breast beam I orby the main frame of the loom, is a guide roll I3 over which the iinished fabric passes.

The loom also includes the usual form of pin roll I6 and guide roll I1 around which the fabric also passes. The fabric is taken up intermittently, i. e. for each beat-up motion of the lay or for each pick, by the pin roll I6, which maintains the fabric and the warp threads under tension. The rolls I6 and I'I are suitably mounted for rotation in the side frames I4 ofthe loom.

The loom is also provided with fabric guide rolls I8 and I9 and a mandrel 20 on which the completed fabric is wound, said mandrel being driven in any suitable manner to wind the fabric step by step as it is advanced from the fell by the intermittent movements of the pin roll I6.

In the present instance, the warp beam is supplanted by a suitable rack of any well known type and upon which is mounted a series of cones, bobbins, spools or other yarn packages 2|, 2| containing warp .threads a which, as will be more fully disclosed hereinafter, constitute the warp threads for the lowermost of the two base fabrics. The rack also supports a series of yarn packages 22 which supply threads b, which constitute the warp threads for the uppermost base fabric. Also carried by the rack is a plurality of yarn packages 23 which supply the pile warps c. The pile warps c are adapted to be interwoven with each of the base fabrics and to extend from one to the other thereof in a manner hereinafter described more fully.

The warps a, b and c respectively pass through guide or separating plates` 24, 25 and 26 from the bobbins 2I, 22 and 23'respectively to guide rolls 21, 28 and'ZS. The guide plates 24, 25 and 2S are provided with suitable relatively spaced openings or perforations 30 through which the warp threads a., b and c pass and by which the threadsv of each group thereof are retained in predetermined relation to each other for presentation to the guide rolls 21, 28 and 29. From the guide rolls 21, 28 and 29 the groups of warp threads a, b and c pass around tensioning rolls 3l, 32 and` 33 respectively.

From the tensioning roll 3I the warp threads a pass to and around a guide roll 34 and in so doing said warp threads pass through and between the threads a, where said group of threads are passing from the guide plate 24 to the guide roll 21, as indicated at :t1 in Fig. l. The threads a pass from the guide roll 34 to and over a fixed supporting bar 35, which is disposed adjacent and parallel to the guide roll I 2.

The bar 35 is provided with a series of vertical pins 36 which are spaced apart longitudinally of the support 35 which latter extends transversely of the loom and vis supported in any suitable manner by the main frames I4 of they loom.

The warp threadsY b pass from the tensioning roll 32 through that portion of the group of threads b which is stretched between the guide roll 28 and the tensioning roll 32', as indicated at x2, said threads b then passing to the support 35 and between the guide pins 36-thereon, which maintains the threads b in predetermined relation to the thread a for delivery to the guide roll I2 and Whip roll I! of the loom.

The pile warp threads c pass` from the tensioning roll 33 through the group c where said group extends from the guide roll 29 to the tension roll 33, as indicated at .r3 in Fig. I. The pile warp threads c pass from the intersecting point :1:3 directly to and through heddle eyes 31. The heddle .eyes 31 are carried by heddle wires 38 which in turn are carried by the heddle frame 6, in the present instance, said threads passing from the heddle eyes 31 to the fell :c of the fabric, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

From the whip roll I I the warp threads a and b respectively pass under and' over a separating bar 39, then over and under a second separating bar 4B. other and pass through each other between the bars 39 and 4Q at the intersecting points :c4 as illustrated in Fig. l. From the bar 40 the warp threads a pass to and through heddle eyes 4I and 42 carried byheddlewires 43 -and 44 respectively. The wires 43 and 4 4 are carried byfthe The two groups of threads cross eachy heddle frames 9 and I IJ respectively. The warp threads a pass from said heddle eyes 4I and 42 through the dents in the reed 4 of the lay 2, to the lower base fabrics A at the fell X.

The warp threads b pass from the separating bar 4B to heddle eyes 45 and 46 which are carried by heddle wires 41 and 48. These heddle Wires are carried by the heddle'frarnesI 1 and 8 respectively. The warp threads b pass from the heddle eyes 45 and 46 through the dents in the lay reed 4 to the upper basefabric B at the fell X.

The fabrics A and-B are maintained in vertically spaced relation .to each other by separating blades 50, said blades being arranged in laterally spaced relation to each other and disposed horizontally between a rearwardly projecting lip 5I of thebreast beam I and a transversely extending bar 52 which is arranged above and in spaced relation to the upper surface of the breast beam to provide a guideway 53 for the separating blades 50.

'I'he blades 50, 50 extend longitudinally of the loom and are arranged to move longitudinally through the guideway 53, with the fabrics A, B, during the beat-up movement of the lay to the front-center position and to be retracted slightly in the opposite direction during the movement of the lay to the back-center position, as will be.

more fully disclosed hereinafter.

The separating blades are of a width corre` sponding to twice the height of the vpile required on each of the fabrics A and B, said separating blades being arranged in vertical planes and spaced laterally to provide spaces therebetween through which the pile warps c pass in extending from the lower base fabric Ato the' upper base fabric B and vice versa to produce the interconnecting pile area C between said fabrics A and B.

'I'he groups of body or ground warp threads a and b are sub-divided into two substantially equal series which as the heddle frames rise and fall during the course of the weaving operation are alternately raised and lowered to produce an open warp shed D through which the weft or filling-threads a1, b1 of theV fabrics A and AB are alternately carried by a separate shuttle propelled through successive Warp sheds by the usual picking mechanism of the loom.

The heddle cams `are so arranged that a warp shedis first produced by raising all of the warp threads band one-half of the warpvthreads a, the other half of the warp threadsy a and the pile warps c being lowered, and producing the warp shed for receiving one of the weft or filling threads a1 of the lower fabric A. f

After insertion of the filling or weft threads a1v the warp shed changes. A-ll of.y rthe warp threads a and one-half of the warp threads b are loweredI and one-half` of the warp threads b and all of the pile warps c. are raised to produce the next;

openwarp shed D2, shownin Fig. 3, forthe-reception of one of the wefts b1 of the Vupper fabric B;

After the insertion of each weft al or bl, as the .tionsto produce the next warp'shed for the-introductiongoik the. next lling thread a1 `or b1, as the case may be. l y l It will be noted that all of the weft threads a1 are inserted below the spacing blades 50 and all` of. the filling threads or weftthreads b1 Yof the upper fabric B are inserted above the spacing blades 50, and in order to accomplish this procedure with the limited rise and fall of the heddle frames available in the loom of the type noted each of the spacing blades `5|'l is provided with a relatively movable section 55.

The movable sections 55, 55 of the spacing blades 50, 50 are pivotally connected at 56, 5B to the back ends 51, 51 of the spacing blade 50, 55 respectively and rise and fall with and in predetermined relation to the warp threads a, b and c.

As shown in Fig. 3, the two base fabrics A and B, after being woven at the fell X, ridejlongitudinally along the lower and upper edges 59 and 58 respectively of the blades 50. The two base fabrics A and B are separated by the vertical width of the blades 50, which determines the length of the pile tufts to beformed by the pile threads c in each case as the threads c, c pass across the pile region C between the two fabrics. The double pile fabric composed of the two base fabrics and interconnecting pile threads rides off the forward ends 60 of the spacing blades 50 as the pin roll I6 takes off the fabric, step by step, with the beat-up movements of the lay 2.

The forward ends 6| of the movable sections 55 of the blades 50 are each provided with an opening 62. A tongue 65 projecting laterally from the rear end 51 of each of the blades 50 passes through the opening 62 formed in the movable section 55 of the blade 50. The tongues 65 are formed integrally with the rear ends 51 of the blades 50 and, after passing through the openings 62 in the movable sections 55, are bent forwardly and lie substantially parallel to the blades 50.

The free ends 61 of the tongue portions 66 project forwardly beyond and terminate in front of the joints 56 formed between the two relatively movable blade sections 50 and 55, so that as the double fabric moves along the blades 50 in the manner above noted and passes olf the ends 60 thereof the pile threads c within the pile region C will slide freely past and over the free ends 61- of the blade tongues B6.

The rear end of the movable section 55 of each spacing blade 50 is pivotally connected at 1l to and between a pair of heddle blades 12. The control blades 12 extend vertically and are disposed in laterally spaced relation to each other within the plane of and suitably connected to the heddle frame 5 which, as shown in Fig.l, is the rst of the heddle frames and is disposed immediately behind the lay 2, when said lay is in its back-center position above noted.

The heddle frame 5 is controlled by one of the cams on the common shaft by which the frames B to I inclusive are controlled, said frame being movable from a high to a low position and vice versa to carry the movable sections 55 of the fabric-spacing blades 50 up and down between the full and dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 as the warp sheds are formed for the introduction of the weft threads dl---bl respectively.

As previously noted, whenA the lay moves to its front-center position to beat up a newly inserted weft thread and the pin roll I6 advances to take up the fabric to the desired extent, the blades 50, being interwoven with the double pile fabric between the two base fabrics A and B, advance a corresponding distance with the fabric and in order to strip the fabric off the ends 60 of the blades 50, these blades are moved rearwardly, after each beat up movement of the lay, a distance equal vto the distance the blades advanced with the fabric.

The retracting of the spacing blades 50 is effected at the time the lay moves into its backcenter position and for that purpose the lay is provided with a bar 80 which extends transversely across the loom behind the lay 2 and in front of the heddle frame 5 and which as said lay moves to its back-center position engages the forward edges of the heddle blades 12, which, as the said lay approaches and movesrinto its extreme back-centerv position exerts a pull on the sections 55 of the spacing blades 50. The rearward pull of the sections 55 of the blades. 50 irnparts a corresponding rearward movement to the blade 50 through the joint 56 and by which the fabrics A and B are delivered over the forward ends 50 of the blades 50.

In order to produce the necessary tension on the'warp threads a, band c, the peripheral faces of the tensioning drums 3|, 32 and 33 are roughened to grip the threads moresecurely. In the present instance these rolls are spirally wrapped with strips of abrasive material, such as sandpaper, as indicated at 50 in Fig. 6. The abrasive material, by reason of its rough character, retains a firm grip on said warp threads and prevents relative slippage between the warp threads and the surfaces of the tensioning drums.

As the fabric is woven and taken up by the Y in roll |5, the warp threads a, b and c are intermittently pulled, which intermittently revolves the tensioning rolls 3|, 32 and 33. Such rotation of the rolls 3|, 32 and 33 is retarded, to apply the desired tension to the warp threads, by means o-f brake bands 9|, 92 and 93, which are respectively applied to peripheral surfaces of brake drums S4, S5 and 95. The brake drums 05, 95 and 96 are carried by the shafts 91, S8 and 99 which support the drums 3|, 32 and 33 respec tively. The shafts 91, 98 and 59 are mounted for rotation in and relative to fixed frames |00, |00 by which the tensioning rolls, the spacing bars 24, and 26, and the guide rolls 21, 20 and 20 are supported in predetermined relation to each other.

One end of the brake band 92 is permanently attached to the guide bar 28 around which the warp threads b pass, the opposite end of said brake band being adjustably secured at I0| to a lever |02. The lever |02 is pivoted at 03 to a bracket |04 which in turn is adjustably mounted on the guide bar 28. The arm or lever |02 is provided with adjustable weights |05 by which the braking effort applied to the tension roll 32 may be regulated at will.

One end of the brake band 53 is permanently attached to the guide bar 29 over which the pile warps c pass. The opposite end of the braise band 93 is pivotally connected at |05 to one end of a lever |01. The lever |01 is pivotally mounted at |08 to a bracket |09 which is adjustably mounted on the guide bar 29. The lever |01 is provided vwith a single weight ||0 adjustable longitudinally of the arm i01 for regulating the braking effort applied to the tensioning roll 33.

In order to prevent wrinkling of the under fabric A which apparently is caused by reason of this fabric assuming an arc of smaller radius than that assumed by the fabric B in passing around the breast beam roller I3, it has been found necessary'to apply a greater tension to the warp threads a, of which the groundwork of the fabric A is composed, than is necessary to be applied to the warp threads b, forming the ground fabric B, and in order to apply the desired amount of tension to the warps a it has been found necessary to increase the diameter of the tensioning roll 3|, around which the threads a pass, over the diameter of the roll 32 for the threads b, in order to grip each thread a throughout a greater portion of its length than is required in the case of the threads b, in order to withstand the increased tension without slipping on the roll 3|. A relatively different form of braking mechanism has also been employed in connection with the tensioning `of the threads a, said braking mechanism comprising, as shown particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a lever I I having a depending transversely elongated lug H2 arranged to rock in a cradle surface H3 formed in the upper edge of a bracket H4 carried by the side frame |08 of the tensioning device. The lever |I| is provided with a pair of laterally spaced depending lugs H5 between which extends a rod HS to which one end of the brake band 9| is secured. The opposite end of the brake band 9| is provided with a threaded shackle bolt Hl which passes through a slot H8 formed in one end of the lever |H. At the opposite sides of the slot H8, the end H9 of the lever is provided with a series of teeth |20. The teeth l2@ are adapted to receive a tooth |2| formed on each side of the plate |22 through which the shackle bolt Hl passes. Threaded onto the shackle bolt Hl' is a nut |23'which is arranged to be screwed down against the plate |22 for effecting minute adjustment of the brake band 9|. The opposite end |24 of the lever H supports suitable weight |25 which in rocking the lever about its pivot H2 applies the necessary retarding force to the rotation of the tensioning roll 3|.

At times, during the weaving of double pile fabric or, and especially, during the weaving of a heading between the ends of two lengths or strips of the fabric, wherein the pile-forming warps are floated beneath the lowermost of the two superposed base fabrics which at that time are being woven more or less as separate fabrics connected together only at the selvage edges thereof by the weft or filling thread woven first into one and then into the other of the base fabrics at alternate picks respectively, the fabric tends to wrinkle in the direction of the warps, i. e. the selvage edges tend to move inwardly toward each other and cause the fabric to become wrinkled therebetween. These wrinkles extend longitudinally of the fabric through the heading and, in some cases, for some distance into the pile section which is woven subsequent to the heading.

In order to overcome the above noted longitudinal wrinkling of the fabric, the loom is provided, between the guide bar 52 for the base fabric spacers 59 and the guide roll I3 over which the composite fabric C passes after weaving, with a spreading device |30.

rIhe spreading device |352 comprises a plurality of peripherally toothed wheels which are spaced apart across the breast beam and disposed in positions to contact with the fabric. The spreader wheels are arranged in two series. The wheels of each series are disposed in substantially parallel planes with the planes of the wheels of the one series arranged at acute angles 'to the plane of the fabric and breast plate and pointing toward one edge of the fabric, while the planes of the wheels of the other series are arranged at reversely corresponding acute angles tothe fabric and breast plate and point toward the opposite selvage so that the two series are in opposed relation to each other with the planes of the two series of wheels in divergent relation to the longitudinal center line of the fabric and to a vertical plane coincident with the longitudinal center line of the fabric, i. e. a line substantially equidistant from the oppositely dis-A posed selvages of the fabric.

A valuable advantage of the above resides in the fact that in addition to keeping the fabric from wrinkling it permits the use of a lesser number of warp ends across the fabric to maintain a predetermined width to the fabric than can normally be used to produce a fabric of equal width, with a resulting saving in the cost of material to the manufacturer.

'I'he double pile fabric is woven in a continuous strip which is made possible by the warp threads being drawn from individual packages, making it possible to replenish the Warp'threads at any time and in any numbers so that the knots made in tying the threads of new packages to the threads of depleted packages are distributed throughout the length of the continuous strip of fabric.

In order to remove the fabric from Ythe loom the strip is cut transversely when the roll on the mandrel 20 is of 'a predetermined size containing a predetermined number of yards. In order to provide for such cutting and in order to facilitate the splitting operation, wherein the two strips of double woven fabric are split apart ina plane intermediate the planes of the two base fabrics, non-pile headings are made periodically in the continuous strip by dropping the pile warps below the lower base fabric and not weaving these threads into either of the base fabrics.

The dropping of the pile warps to non-weaving position during the weaving of a heading is accomplished by rendering inoperative the means by which the heddle frame which 'controls the pile warps is raised and lowered. In different looms this would be accomplished in different ways. In looms of the type to which the present case is directed rendering of the pile-lifting means ineffective is accomplished merely by holding a cam follower out of contact with a cam by which the pile warps are normally raised.

I claim:

1. In a loom of the kind described employing a group of warp threads for each of the upper and lower base fabrics of a double pile fabric and a group of pile warps for connecting said base fabrics, the combination of a tension roll for each group of warp threads, with the tension roll for the warps of the lower base fabric of relatively greater diameter than the rolls for the other groups of said warp threads as and for the purpose described.

2. In a loomof the kind described employing a group of warp threads for each of the upper and lower base fabrics of a double pile fabric and a group of pile warps for connecting said base fabrics, the combination of a tension roll for each group of warp'threads, with the tension roll for the warps of the lower base fabric of relatively greater diameter than the rolls for the other groups of said warp threads, and guides for said' threads disposed adjacent said rolls and arranged to guide said threads around substantially the full circumference of each roll to increase the grip areas ofthe rolls on the threads of each group respectively.

3. In a loom of the kind described employingI afb a group of Warp threads for each of the upper and lower base fabrics of a double pile fabric and a group of pile Warps for connecting said base fabrics, the combination of a tension roll for each group of warps threads, with the tension roll for the warps of the lower base fabric of re1- atively greater diameter than the rolls for the other groups of said warp threads, and abrasive tape spirally Wound on each roll with the abrasive ace thereof outwardly to engage said threads respectively.

WILLIAM H. HALL, JR. 

